It’s Earth Day! Here Are Some Simple Ways You Can Help Do Your Part To Save The Planet.

April 22^nd 2018 is Earth Day!

This marks the day celebrated internationally that aims to bring millions of people together to participate in activities focused on making a significant change for our planet.

While these activities and gatherings are great, there are many other things you can do daily to help reduce your impact on the planet long after the Earth Day celebrations have completed. Below is a list of several to help get you on the path to doing your part!

Earth Day Tips

1. Stop Using Plastic Bags - Experts estimate that between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year, resulting in millions of bags sitting in landfills. Even worse, many of these plastic bags end up fatally affecting our wildlife and littering our natural spaces. One way you can make a difference is to STOP using plastic bags when you’re shopping, and instead bring your own reusable bag.
2. Switch To Reusable Water Bottles – In a similar vein, make the switch to drinking tap water. Plastic water bottles are estimated to account for only 20 per cent of landfills but can stay there for hundreds of years before decomposing. They also end up in our oceans, harming wildlife and littering one of our most important resources. Even when plastic bottles are recycled, they’re generally shipped out of the local areas for processing which is ultimately an environmentally-unfriendly practice.
3. Make The Energy Efficient Switch – A really simple thing you can do is to change your light bulbs at home. Did you know energy-efficient light bulbsuse up to 80 per cent less energy and can last up to 25 times longer than traditional bulbs? That’s great for your wallet as well as being eco-friendly!
4. Be Eco-Friendly When Driving – Try to avoid driving when absolutely possible under two-miles. Stop and think – can I use my bike to get me where I need to go, or would a nice run or walk be a better option? Realizing it’s not always possible to not drive, but you’d be surprised how much adjusting your driving habits each month can help reduce the amount of driving (thus emissions and energy used).If you must drive, you don’t need a hybrid vehicle to be an eco-friendly driver, there are steps you can take to significantly reduce your fuel consumption. Some examples include keeping tires properly inflated or ensuring your vehicle is in good working condition.
5. Recycling And Composting Matter – We all hear about it, there are bins and recycling stations everywhere these days, but what we can keep out of our landfills and find ways to re-use ultimately benefits us all. This includes the proper disposal of toxic substances like paint and batteries as well as electronics. A simple solution that can benefit you at home is to establish an organic composting bin. This not only helps to reduce landfill waste, but you’re creating a nutrient rich compound that naturally fertilizes plants and crops and helps hold moisture.

Hopefully you are already doing some/all of these in your home. Help spread the word and together we all can work to combat climate change one action at a time.